Tack forming and driving machine



June 10, 1930. w. B MATHEWSON 1,762,450

TACK FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1928 4 SheetsSheet 1 nTQr.

lnve Wilfred B. MoThew$on b aflwa MIW An s.

June 10, 1930.. w B MATHEWSQN 1,762,450

TACK FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1928 4 SheetSShee 2 Fig.2. a

3 w ig l nvenTor. Wilfred B. MuThewson byZZeaAJMkW Anys.

June 10, 1930. w. B. MATHEWSON TACK FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lnvenTor. Wilfred B. Murhewson [191M My June 10, 1930. w. a. MATHEWSON 5 TACK FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Shee 4 Wilfred B. Mathewson bydww MvW A'iTys.

Patented June 10, 1930 UHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILFRED B. MATHEWSON, OF WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERI- CAN WINDOW SHADE MACHINE CO. INC., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION OF MASSACHUSETTS TACK FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE Application filed January 25, 1928.

This invention relates to a machine for forming and driving tacks and has for its general object to provide a machine of this character which is very simple in construction and has a minimum number of moving parts but which is speedy and accurate in operation.

In order to reduce the number of operative parts in the machine I have provided a tacking machine in which the tack is formed from wire and driven by the same element, which element may for convenience be referred to as a templet-driver. One portion of this teniplet-driver constitutes a templet about which a length of wire is bent to form the tack and another portion thereof constitutes the driver by which the tack is driven. This templet-driver is shown as a rotary element and as it rotates one portion thereof acts on the length of wire to form it into the desired shape while another portion acts on the formed tack to drive the latter. The machine also embodies novel means for cutting a length of wire from a wire strip and then bending said length around the templet to form the tack.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

i Fig. l is a side view of a tacker such as might be used for forming tacks and driving them into a shade roller for fastening a window shade thereto;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tacker;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the position of the templet-driver as the wire strip is being fedthereto;

Fig. 5 isa section on the line 5-5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the position of the templet-driver as the tack is being formed;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77, Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the operation of the templet-driver in driving the tack;

Serial No. 249,281.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the feed drum;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the forming members;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of one of the forming members showing the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a section on the line 12-12, Fig. 3;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the tack which is made on the device.

The particular embodiment of the invention herein shown is adapted to form and drive a double-pointed tack such as shown in Fig. 11. The device comprises a templctdriver element which functions as a templet in the formation of the tack and also as a driver for driving the tack, forming members co-operating with the templet-driver to bend a length of wire into the U-shape shown in Fig. 11 and a feeding member arranged to feed a strip of wire to the templet. The templet-driver element is indicated generally at 2 and it is in the form of a disk which is fast on a shaft 8 journalled in suitable bearings in the frame 4-. This templetdriver has a templet portion 5 that constitutes a templet about which a length of wire is bent to form the tack l and a driver portion 6 which acts on the formed tack to drive the latter. This templet-driver member is formed with a slot 7 extending transversely therethrough, said slot terminating at its inner end in an opening 8 and having a concentric portion 9 extending from the opening and also being provided with the eccentric portion 10 which causes the slot to run out at the periphery of the disk as shown at 11.

The templet part 5 of the templet-driver member 2 is situated betweenthe concentric portion 9 of the slot and the periphery of said member while the driver part 6 is situated inside of the eccentric portion 10 of the slot and extends beyond the end 11 thereof.

The templetdriver member 2 is rotated by the shaft 3during the formation and driving of the tack and during the operation of the device a length of wire which is long- 1. The tack is prevented from rotating with the member 2 and the rotation of said member 2 delivers the tack through the eccentric portion 10 of the slot with the points of the tack directed outwardly in a radial direction and as the cam surface 12 of the driver portion 6 of the slot engages the tack it forces the tack into the article which is to receive it, which in the present embodiment of the invention is a shade roller 13 to which shade material 14.- is to be attached, the pur pose of the tacking operation being to secure the shade material to said roller. The tacker, however, is capable of being used for other purposes than attaching shade material to a shade roller.

The various lengths of wire which are formed into tacks are cut from a wire strip 15 which is fed into the machine in a direction parallel to the shaft 3. It is guided in its feeding movement by a guiding groove 16' formed partially in the upper face of a supporting member 17 and partially in the under face of a cap plate 18. The means for feeding the wire strip 15 through the guiding groove 16 so that the end thereof will project through the slot 7 as shown in Fig. 5 will be presently described. After the strip of wire has been fed into position as shown in Fig. 5 so that the end thereof projects through the slot 7 then the strip of wire is cut to leave a length of wire 19 in the slot 7, the ends of which project beyond the side faces 20 of the disk. 00-

operating with the templet-driver member are two forming elements which engage the projecting ends of the wire length 19 and bend them up around the outer faces of the templet portion 5 of the disk2 as shown in Fig. 7. These forming or wire-bending members are indicated at 21 and 22 respectively, they being situated on opposite sides of the disk 2. These members are provided with openings 23 through which the shaft 3 passes and they are guided at their-lower ends by guiding ribs 24 which operate in slots 25 formed in said members. i The up per end 28 of the member 21 on the outer side of the disk 2 is guided between two arms 26 formed on a guide plate 27 that is secured to the frame while the upper end 29 of the member 22 is guided between two shoulders 30 formed on the cap plate 18.

The member 22 also constitutes the cutting member for cutting the length 19 from the wire strip 15. These members are given a vertical movement after the wires have been fed into position as shown in Fig. 5, said vertical movement operating first to cut the length of wire 19 from the strip and then to bend the ends 31 against the outer faces.

For cutting the wire the member 22 is provided with a cutting edge 33 which cooperates with the cutting edge 3 1 formed on the cap plate 18, these edges being inclined so that the wire is cut on a line inclined to the length thereof. Hence as the members 21, 22 move upwardly the member 22 first cuts the length of wire and then the two members bend the ends 31 of said length against the outer faces of the templet portion 5. These members 20 and 21 are given their vertical movement by the disk 2 and for this purpose each face of said disk is formed with a cam groove 35 in which is received a projection 36 extending from the corresponding forming member 21 or 22.

It will be understood that the templetdriver member is rotating during the formation of the tack and the driving thereof. After the tack has been formed it is held in its vertical position shown in Fig. 7 during continued. rotation of the templet-driver 2 by means of guiding grooves 38 formed in the side faces of the forming elements 21, 22. The parts are so timed that when the tack has been fully formed as shown in Fig. 7 the templet-driver is in approximately the position shown in Fig. 6 and the tack is just about to pass from the concentric portion 9 of the slot to the eccentric'portion 10 thereof. As the templet-driver continues to rotate in the direction of the arrow the eccentric surface 12 will force the tack upwardly, it being guided during this time in the grooves 38.

The cam 35 is constructed so that it will move the forming members 21, 22 upwardly as the tack is being driven as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 so that the tack will be guided during its driving operation. The eccentric surface 12 forces the tack up and directs it intothe shade roller 13 which is held in proper position to receive the tackby a suitable stationary rest or guide 39 indicated in Fig. 1. As the templet-driver member completes its rotation the forming members 21, 22 are carried downwardly into their normal position by the cam grooves 35.

The templet-driver member is slabbed off at one side as shown at 40 at the terminus of the driving portion 6 so that when the tack is driven and the'templet-driver member comes into the position shown in Fig. 1 there will be plenty of room between said member and the rest 39 to permit of the removal of the roll 13 which has had the shade at tached thereto and the insertion into position of anotherroll and fresh shade material.

The feeding of the wire strip 15 is accomplished by afeed drum 41w'hich is fast on the shaft 3 and is provided in its-periphery with an inclined feeding rib 42. This rib is provided with a sharpcuttingedge and is so situated that it engages the under side of the wire strip asthe drum rotates. The sharp edge cuts into the wire strip slightly forming a notch therein and because of the incline or diagonal direction of said strip the rotation of the feeding drum will feed the strip forward, said rib 42 acting somewhat as a cam for advancing the strip. This inclined rib 42extends only partially about thedrum and is so positioned that it will act on the strip to feed the latter while the templet-driver is rotating from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 4.

.After the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 4 the feeding rib 42 passes out of engagement with the wire strip and thereafter the length of wire which has been fed through the slot 7 is severed and formed into atack as above described by the operation of the forming members 21 and 22. The feeding drum 41 is also provided with a peripheral sharp-edged retaining rib 43 which engages the wire strip 15 and prevents retrograde movement thereof while the tackis being formed and driven. This retaining rib 43 is interrupted at the point in "the periphery where the feeding rib 42 is located as shown at 44 so that during part of the rotation of the feeding drum the wire strip is engaged by the retaining rib, 43.

From the above it will be seen that at each rotation ofthe shaft 3 one tack will be formed and driven and that the mechanism for forming and driving the tack is of the simplest construction, it comprising merely the rotary templet-driver 2 and the two forming elements 21, 22. It will also be noted that the feeding means is of an extremely simple construction, it comprisingsimply a rotary drum fast on the shaft 3 and having the inclined feeding rib 42 on its periphery.

The shaft 3 may be driven in any suitable or approved way. It isherein shown as having a gear 45 thereon which meshes with and is driven by a driving gear 46 on a-driving shaft 47 but this, of course, is only one of many obvious Ways in which said shaft might be driven.

I claim.

1. In a tackingmachine, the combination with a rotary combined templet and driver "having a wire-receiving opening, of 'means co-operating therewith to form a tack from a length of" wire placed in said opening,

saidcombined templet and driver operating during its rotation to-drive the tack thus formed.

2. In a tacking machine, the combination with a-rotary templet=driver element havmembers having "means to guide the tack as it 1s driven.

ing a wire receiving opening, ofmeans cooperating therewith during a POItlOIlOf each rotation thereof to form a tack from a piece of wire placed in the opening, said element operating during a subsequent portion of its rotation to drive the form'edta'ck. 3. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element, *of

meansfor feedinga wire strip thereto, "of means actuated by the templet-driver eletion of its rotation, and said means operating to guide the tack as 1t is driven.

5. In a tacking machine,-the combination with a rotary templet-driver element, of two tack-forming members co-operating with saidelement during 1'65 rotationto bend a length of wire into the form of a doublewpointed tack, said element operating to drive the tack into the work duringa subsequent portion of its rotation, and said forming 6. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary-templet driver'element, of a rotary feed member rigid therewith and providedwith means to feed a wire strip to the templet-driver element in a-direction parallel to the axis of rotation, and means co-operating with said element to cut a length from the wire strip and bend it into the form of a tack.

7. In a tackingmachine, the combination with a rotary templet-driverelement, of=a rotary feed-member rigid therewith and provided with means to feed-a wire strip to the templet-driver element in -a-direction parallel to the axis of rotation, and means co-operating with said. element during a portion of its rotation to cut a length of wire from said strip and form it into a tack,

said element driving the formed tack during a subsequent portion of its rotation.

8. In atacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element, of a rotar feed member rigid therewith and providecl with means to feedawirestrip to the templet-driver element in a direction sparallel to the'axis ofrotation, and meansactuated; by said element to cut a length from said wire strip and co-operating with said element to form said length intoa tack duringa portion of itsrotatiomsaid-element opi crating to drive the tack during the remainder of its rotation.

9. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element in the form of a disk having a transverse slot which is provided with a concentric portion and an eccentric portion by which the slot runs out of the disk at the periphery there- 'of, said disk having a cam-shaped peripheral surfaceat the end of the slot, of means to feed a strip of wire through the concentric portion of said slot, and means actuated by the disk to cut a length from said wire and to bend the ends of said length against the face of the disk thereby to form a doublepointed tack, which tack is driven into the work by the cam-shaped driving surface of the disk as'the latter rotates.

10. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element in the form of a disk having a transverse slot which is provided with a concentric portion and an eccentric portion by which the slot runs out of the disk at the periphery thereof, said disk having a cam-shaped peripheralsurface at the end of the slot, a rotary feed member rigid with said disk for feeding a strip of wire through said slot in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation, and means actuated by the disk to cut a length from said wire and to bend the, ends of said length against the face of the disk thereby to form a double-pointed tack, which. tack is driven into the work by the'cam-shaped driving surface of the disk as thelatter rotates.

11'. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element having a wire-receiving opening and a slot extending from said opening to its periphery, of means co-operating with said element to form a double-pointed tack from a length of wire placed in the opening and to feed said tack through the slot as the element rotates, said element having a driving portion which, during the continued rotation, acts on thetack and drives the same.

' 12. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element having a wire-receiving opening and a slot extending from said opening to its periphery, of 'means to feed a length of wire into said pointed tack from a length of wire placed in saidopening as the templet-driver element rotates, said templet-driver element having a driving portion to drive the tack.

14. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element having a wire-receiving opening and a slot extending from said opening to its'periphery, of means to feed a length of wire into said opening, forming members co-operating with said templet-driver' element to form said length of wire into a double-pointed tack and to feed said tack through said slot, said templet-driver element having a driving portion to act on and drive the tack as said elementrotates.

15. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element having a wire-receiving opening and a slot extending from said opening to its periphery, of means to feed a length of wire into said opening, forming members co-operating with said templet-driver element to form said length of wire into a double-pointed tack and to feed said tack through said slot, said templet-driver element having a driving portion to act on and drive the tack as said element rotates, said forming members having means for guiding the tack as it is driven. a

16. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element having a wire-receiving opening and a slot extending from said opening to its periphcry, of forming members, one on each side of the templet-driver element, means to move the forming members radially as the templet-driver element rotates thereby to form a double-pointed tack from a length of wire placed in said opening, said tack being fed through the slot during the rotation of the templet-driver element, and the latter having a driving portion to act on and drive the tack.

17. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element having a wire-receiving opening and a slot extending from said opening to its periphery, of forming members, one on eachside of the templet-driver element, means to move the forming members radially as the templet-driver element rotates thereby to form a double-pointed tack from a length of wire placed in said opening, said tack being fed through the slot during the rotation of the templet-driver element, the latter having a driving portion to act on and drive the tack, and said forming members having means to guide the tack as it is driven.

18. In a tacking machine, the combination with a rotary templet-driver element having a wire-receiving opening and a slot extending from the opening to its periphery, of means to feed a length of wire into said slot, forming members one on'each side of the -templ'et-driver element, means to move the forming members radially thereby to form said length of Wire into a double-pointed tack, said tack being fed through the slot by the rotation of the templet-driver element, and the latter having a driving portion to act on the tack anddrive the same.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

VVILFRED B. MATHEWSON. 

